Volkswagen Showcases The 1993 Rallye Golf 3 A59 Prototype At The 2022 SEMA Show
Volkswagen brought the silver 1990s Golf alongside the Jetta GLI to the 2022 SEMA show. There is a reason this specific Golf model sticks out, and that is because of its wheel arches that poke out and the car’s very unique hood style. The model of this vehicle is the 1993 Volkswagen Rallye Golf 3 A59 prototype and has a special design so VW could compete in the 1994 World Rally Championship. Unfortunately, this never happened, and this specific Golf model is still a one-and-done.
German firm Schmidt Motorsport built the production of the A59 prototype; they took the Mk 3 Golf to the total capacity for a specifically designed engine, reworked suspension, and a swollen bodywork. An all-aluminum turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four can make 275 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. There is a six-speed manual transmission that powers all four of the wheels. The 16-inch five-spoke Speedline wheels include 225/45R16 tires, a front suspension, Bilstein shock absorbers, and wider control arms.
Many exterior body panels were designed from carbon fiber and Kevlar. The improved front bumper, wheel arches, side skirts, rear spoiler, and rear bumper give the A59 an intimidating look. For the exterior of the car, the cutouts in the hood give the vehicle a distinctive look, and for the interior, there are Recaro seats, a three-spoke steering wheel, and a digital dashboard. If the A59 were able to race, VW would have had to make 2,500 of these vehicles, but that wasn’t in the cards for the A59 because the project was canceled. There are a few other Golf anniversary models that customers can’t wait to get their hands on.
2023 Volkswagen Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition
Volkswagen recently announced a brand new Golf R special edition to honor the 20th anniversary of the first-ever R32’s European launch. This unique anniversary edition model comes equipped with shiny black 19-inch Estori wheels, contrasting mirror caps, lights that project “20 R” onto the ground, blue R badges, and last but certainly not least, a one-of-a-kind 20th Anniversary badge on the B pillar. To the steering wheel’s right is a 10.0 touchscreen in the dashboard’s center. It comes with touch-sensitive sliders with no physical knobs or buttons. There are currently only 1,800 units being offered, and any lucky person to be one of the owners of this exciting new car will get to choose between a six-speed manual and a seven-speed dual-clutch. The 2023 VW Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition has a starting price of $44,940 (plus destination fee) for the manual model and $45,740 (plus destination fee) for the seven-speed DSG.
Volkswagen 2023 Golf GTI 40th Anniversary Edition
To celebrate Volkswagen GTI turning 40 this year (the US version), there will be a 2023 special 40th Anniversary Edition Golf GTI model. For the interior design, the original plaid cloth seats are also found in the S and SE trim. The platform for the 40th Anniversary Edition is of the entry-level S trim, with added items saved for the top-sec Autobahn. This includes adaptive dampers, 19-inch wheels with 235-35 summer tires, and speed-sensitive steering. This special edition vehicle has the same 241-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 as all the other U.S. GTI models. The starting price for the S trim is $30,530 (plus destination fee), the SE cost is $35,330 (plus destination fee), and the Autobahn trim starts at around $39,070 (plus destination fee).
How To Learn More
To follow along with Volkswagen’s journey of all their cool featured cars, you can do that via Volkswagen of Rome social media. The 1993 Volkswagen Rallye Golf 3 A59 prototype is hard to get your hands on, but the other anniversary edition Golf vehicles are not. Come on down to Nye Automotive Group today to see if any other Volkswagen vehicles fit your needs.